The Time Between Us
by GingerWitch47
Summary: Hannah Abbot and Neville Longbottom were friends at school, but it took a war, a heartbreak, and a whole lot of love to bring them together.
1. The Sorting

_Hello lovely readers! So as a Harry Potter Fan girl, I have always had a fascination with a certain herbology-obsessed boy and his future wife. We have never really known much about Hannah and Neville's relationship, so I am going to fix that! The chapters will be short at first, since I'm going to start off when they first run into each other at Hogwarts (we all know they didn't start dating until after the war and after Neville's "summer fling" with Luna), but they will get longer as their relationship starts up, I promise! As always, PLEASE tell me what you think! Thanks!_

Sometimes, Neville Longbottom thought, you just don't have any luck.

It was his first night at Hogwarts, and already he had knocked someone over, lost Trevor twice, stuttered through his introductions ("H-hi. I'm N-Neville. I-I'm looking f-for my f-f-frog") and had already had some kids give him nasty looks when he tripped over their feet. Not even four hours away from home, and he was already embarrassing himself.

As he stood before the doors of the Great Hall, waiting to be sorted and sweating profusely, he tried vainly to remember what his grandmother had said to him when he was about to get on the Hogwarts Express. "Remember, Neville," she had said sternly, brushing the sleeve of his shirt for dust, "You are the son of two of the bravest witch and wizard in the world. Show people that and you'll be fine."

Neville swallowed. He did not consider himself brave in the slightest. He shrieked at snakes, feared heights, cowered from his grandmother when she was angry, and couldn't look at a picture of a death eater without screaming. How he was supposed to live up to his parents was a mystery to him.

Finally, the doors opened, and Professor McGonagall led the troop of eleven-year-olds into the Great Hall. Feeling so many eyes on him made Neville nervous, but thankfully, most were glued on the small boy a few feet away with him with dark hair and a scar on his forehead.

Harry Potter was here! HARRY POTTER was here and he was going to be in Neville's year! He couldn't wait to tell Gran!

When the group stopped in front of the raised platform in front of the room, Professor McGonagall pulled out a long list and put on her spectacles.

"When I call your name, please step forward." She said, pointing to the stool.

"Abbot, Hannah!"

Neville felt himself cringe in pity for the girl. The thought of going first was horrifying.

Neville suddenly paused to look at little Hannah. She was tall for her age; Neville noticed, with long blond hair that touched her back and big, frightened brown eyes. For some reason he couldn't understand, Neville had a secret hope she would be in his house.

Hannah shakily sat on the stool as the top of her head and eyes disappeared under the hats too-large brim. The whole room was silent with anticipation.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat bellowed, and Hannah gave a relieved sigh as the Great Hall cheered, the Hufflepuff table the loudest. She shakily got up and rushed over to the table, where she collapsed.

Name after name was called, until finally, McGonagall cleared her throat and called,

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Trying not to throw up, Neville walked to the stool and plopped down. He felt the hat slip onto his head, and everyone else disappeared.

"Lets see." The hat mused. "Well well, Neville Longbottom, eh? I see lots of awkwardness, a large heart, self-doubt, a strong mind, a fear of not fitting in, loyalty to your friends, and… oh my, is that hope? Yes hope that you will live up to your parents! And one more thing in there… oh yes, something you don't think you have, but you do. And lots of it, actually. It will just take time to show. Well, boy, you have much more in you then you think. You will play a big part in things to come. Let it be… GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville gave a shaky laugh and rushed to the Gryffindor table. He did it! He was in Gryffindor!

After a long meal, Neville got up from the table and gathered with his fellow first-years. He was happy well fed, and…

"Oof! Oi, watch where you're going!"

Neville jumped at the angry voice, only in time to realize that his elbow had just smacked into Hannah Abbot's ribcage.

"I'm sorry!" He cried hysterically, jerking his elbow away. "I didn't mean to, honest!"

Hannah rubbed her rib, giving him a forgiving look. "It's all right, honest. You didn't mean it. I shouldn't have snapped like that. Its just… stress, y'know?"

Neville nodded understandingly. "Congratulations on being in Hufflepuff."

Hannah gave a small smile. "Thanks. It was murder, going first in front of everyone. Both my parents were in Ravenclaw, so I don't think they'll be pleased to have me with the dunces, but I don't mind. And you too for Gryffindor. It's a good house. Plus, you'll have Harry Potter!" She said longingly. "Wish I had him in mine."

"Yeah well," Neville said, blushing, "I'm not sure I can talk to him without stuttering, so I probably won't know him that well anyway."

Hannah giggled, then turned her hear when her friends called her name. "Well, anyway, good luck in Gryffindor." She said, smiling at him. "And no hard feelings on the rib."

Neville laughed. "Yeah thanks. Good luck in Hufflepuff!" He started to walk towards the group of Gryffindor's.

"Hang on!"

Neville stopped and turned to face Hannah, who was looking at him with curiosity.

"I never did catch your name." Neville gave her a shy smile.

"It's Neville. Neville Longbottom."


	2. Angry Friends and Annoying Faults

_Hi again! Here we go with Chapter 2! Since we never really got to know Hannah, I am kinda doing this on a whim. Hopefully this is something like what J. K. Rowling had in mind! Please review!_

Hannah was terrified.

Not because she had seen a spider, or because she had a History of Magic essay coming up that she hadn't even started, or the fact that Professor Snape was downright scary. No, it was because some bloody _thing_ wasgoing around Hogwarts and paralyzing muggle-borns. And worst of all, her best friend Justin was one of them.

She had been to the infirmary 5 times in the past few days, and still nothing had happened. He just lay there, his eyes glazed and staring like he was seeing something she wasn't. It scared her beyond belief.

What the hell do you think it is?" She asked her other best friend, Ernie, one day on their way to potions. It had been a week since Justin was petrified, and both he and Hannah were worried out of their mind.

"You want to know what I think?" Erie said, staring Hannah in the eye.

"Well, yeah, obviously." Hannah said.

"I think it was Potter." Ernie said.

"What?" Hannah gasped, stopping in her tracks. "Ernie, that's a horrible thing to say! Harry wouldn't do that!"

"How do you know?" Ernie snapped. "You don't know him that well, do you?"

"Well, not really well, but I like him a lot. He helped me out on my Defense Against The Dark Arts homework. Not that Lockhart will care, he's such a twit." Hannah sighed.

"Whatever, Hannah." Ernie grumbled.

"And you definitely think Potter's the heir of Slytherin?" Hannah sighed in annoyance.

"Hannah, he's a parselmouth! Everyone knows that's the mark of a dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who can talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself 'Serpent Tongue'." Ernie sighed, looking Hannah in the face.

"Harry always seemed so nice though." Hannah said angrily. "And after all, he is the one who made you-know-who disappear."

Ernie rolled his eyes. "All I'm saying is that it's suspicious. I mean…"

Hannah suddenly whacked Ernie on the arm, because in the shadows, she saw Harry himself staring at them with a hurt look on his face.

"You're such an idiot Ernie." Hannah groaned as Harry turned away. "You had to say all that right when he could hear us."

"He should hear it. He should bloody know that we've figured it out." Ernie said in disdain.

Hannah was sick of this. "Look you bloody idiot, Harry's best friend is a muggle-born! Do you really think he's attack people like her?" Hannah yelled, causing Ernie to step back in alarm. "My mother's muggle-born, and it's thanks to Harry that she's safe! So don't say bad things about him again if you want to stay friends!" With that, Hannah spun around and marched down the corridor in a huff.

She was about to step into the potions classroom when someone hesitantly touched her arm.

"Hannah?"

Hannah jumped at Neville's voice and turned to find him tucked in a dark corner, looking at her timidly.

"Oh, hi Neville." She said, trying and failing to keep her annoyance out of her voice. "What is it?"

Neville hesitated and took a deep breath. "I heard what you said to Ernie. I wasn't eavesdropping, I promise!" he added when he saw Hannah give him a suspicious look. I was just coming around a corner and heard you. I just wanted to say… thanks. For standing up for Harry, I mean. That was really nice of you." He said, smiling at her.

"Ernie's an idiot sometimes." Hannah sighed. "He doesn't hear how stupid things sound when they come out of his mouth. He's upset about Justin, too. We both are. But no matter how much people think Harry has something to do with this, I don't believe he does."

"Well, anyway, thanks." Neville said, and started to go.

"Neville!"

"Yeah?" Neville called back.

"Do me a favor, will you? Tell Harry… tell Harry I'm sorry. He didn't need to hear what Ernie said." Hannah said quietly, looking at her shoes in shame.

"I will. But I think he knows." Neville said, smiling slightly. "He heard it from your own mouth." With that, he turned around and was gone.


	3. The Magic of Believing

_Ok, so I want to move this along a little bit, so we are going to pick up in Neville and Hannah's fifth year and say that nothing really happened between them in their third and fourth year, except that Hannah was convinced that Sirius Black could turn into a plant and her house had Cedric Diggory in it and she wore the "Potter Stinks" badge (which most likely caused some problems between her and Neville) but I'll leave that to your imagination. For now, on to Dumbledore's Army!_

Neville was sure that this was absolutely, positively, guaranteed most-likely-would-blow-up-in-their-faces insane.

As he stood inside the Room of Requirements for the fourth time, looking around at the rest of the people showing up for the meeting, Neville couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they got caught. He had never been one for breaking rules, and this was one hundred percent breaking the rules. He half expected a teacher, a Slytherin or, even worse, Umbridge herself to pop out of a cushion or something.

"Ok!" Harry bellowed, silencing the room. "Today we're going to work on the 'expelliamarus' spell for disarming wands. It comes in handy when you're enemy's distracted and you want to get the upper hand. Pair up and I'll go around."

Neville swallowed nervously. Expelliamarus was not really his skill, and he was certain he'd embarrass himself yet again. The thing was, he needed a partner, and how could he do that without making an fool out of himself?

"Mind if I partner with you?" came a voice from behind him, and Neville turned to see Hannah smiling at him. It was hard to believe how pretty she'd become in the past few years, and her smile always made her even more attractive.

"Don't you usually partner with Ernie or Justin?" He asked, than realized how rude it sounded.

"Ernie seems to be taking a fancy to Susan Bones, and Justin wants to try to work with Hermione tonight." She said, shrugging. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Um, yeah. I mean, no.," he said, blushing slightly. "Sure."

Hannah nodded and retrieved her wand from her robes, rolling it in her hand slightly as if to warm it up. "Do you want to go first?"

_Damn!_ Neville thought bitterly. He just had to be the first to embarrass himself.

"Yeah, but I'm terrible at this spell." He warned her, grabbing his own wand.

"No worries, so am I." Hannah shrugged. "Okay, go for it."

Trying not to cringe, Neville took a deep breath and pointed his wand at Hannah's.

"Expelliamarus!"

Hannah's wand gave a slight shudder, than stood still. Neville felt his face go scarlet. Why did he have to be the one who's parents had been scarred forever by a lost duel, yet he could never get defense right no matter how hard he tried?

"It's all right." Hannah said encouragingly. "You've got the words down. I think you just need to be confident I yourself."

Neville blinked in confusion. "Sorry?"

"I can see you don't believe in yourself." Hannah said knowingly. "When you try to cast a spell, you look like you already failed at it. Half of casting a spell is having confidence in it. Like this." Hannah grabbed her wand and pointed it at Neville's.

"Expelliamarus!"

Neville's wand flew out of his hand, half because he had been startled at how loud and strong Hannah's voice had been, and half because the wand literally pulled itself out of his hand. He stared at Hannah in awe as she neatly caught his wand in her hand.

"That was wicked." He said solemnly.

Hannah laughed as she tossed his wand back to him. "All right, your turn. Show me what you've got."

Neville nodded and, taking a deep breath, thought about how he was going to be amazing at this spell, and how no matter how hard she tried to hold it, Hannah's wand would soar towards him like a magnet.

"EXPELLIAMARUS!"

Hannah yelped at how hard her wand pulled at her hand and let it go quickly. It flew towards Neville like a falling star; it's aim strong and true.

It would have been perfect if it had not hit Neville in the face.

"OW!" Neville howled at he cradled his bleeding nose. The whole room turned towards him, and he barely noticed Hannah running to his side.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and then saw his nose. "No, you're not." She groaned as she stood back for Hermione, who pointed her wand at him and muttered some incantations. To his relief, he felt the bleeding stop and the pain ebb away.

"Thanks, Hermione." He mumbled thickly as he rubbed his nose. She shrugged.

"Other than the wand smacking you in the face, that summon was amazing." Ginny said in amazement, and the whole room murmured in agreement.

"I've never seen you cast a spell that powerful before, mate." Harry said, giving him a puzzled look. "How the bloody hell did you do that?"

Neville glanced towards Hannah, who was beaming at him with pride. "Well," he said mysteriously, giving her a sly smile, "It wasn't that hard. I just took some good advice that made me believe in myself. "

_Aww! That's so cute! Let's see where this friendship is going between these two! Please comment!_


End file.
